Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Samui singled out for community donation efforts

Koh Samui was highlighted by the Centre for the national Covid-19 Situation Administration for its “community effort” to feed those on the island in need of food. Samui is the second largest island in Thailand, after Phuket.
Natapanu Nopakun, the Deputy Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, applauded the concerted fight made by many including the German and Swiss food donors on the island of Koh Samui during the daily briefing on April 7. He also emphasised the need for unity by all residing in Thailand, reiterating that “Covid-19 knows no boundaries and affects everyone worldwide regardless of race or nationality”.
Additionally, he reaffirmed the need for social distancing on public transportation and in public areas with the second rollout of the lockdown commencement scheduled for May 17.
Islands such as Koh Samui are heavily reliant on the tourism and hospitality industry, and many Thais and non-Thai residents of the island want to help provide for those in need. There has been a great outpouring of volunteers and groups in an ongoing effort made up of food providers and those helping to fund purchases along with and volunteers that organise, transport and facilitate distribution.
With over 1.5 million+ jobs lost so far in Thailand, and islands such as Koh Samui heavily reliant on the tourism and hospitality industry, many people on Samui have come together to help provide for those in need.
There are a lot of good people on Koh Samui willing to lead a helping hand and an example is ‘Sisters on Samui’, collecting food donations and providing Food Banks to the people of Koh Samui so nobody is left hungry.
The animals on Samui are not forgotten and volunteers are raising funds and feeding stray dogs living on deserted beaches and jungle outposts. Elephants in sanctuaries that no longer have tourist volunteers providing for them are now receiving help from islanders and others, daily supplying the animals with the enormous amount of food needed to survive.
With visiting boats notified of the nation and island lockdown, Asia Pacific Superyachts co-owner based on Koh Samui, Captain Charlie Dwyer, said, “Our remote island, our seas and beaches remain among the most beautiful in the world and Thai people the warmest and most hospitable. We all look forward to seeing our yachting friends at the back end of this crisis”.
SOURCE: asia-pacific-superyachts.com
PHOTO: Natapanu Nopakun, the Deputy Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
13 Bangkok businesses allowed to reopen tomorrow

Tomorrow, 13 types of businesses in Bangkok are being allowed to reopen but must have strict disease control measures in place. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration made the decision which would undoubtedly give many businesses some relief as well as potential customers.
Such businesses with restrictions include:
- Banquet venues, which will need authorisation from BMA for events with over 300 participants
- Amulet shops and markets
- Beauty salons, tattoo and piercing shops
- Fitness centers, but personal trainers and communal steam rooms are not allowed
- Game Arcades; but all points of contact must be regularly disinfected and facemasks worn at all times.
- Internet shops
- Senior nursing homes, but with limited activities
- Sports venues, except for boxing rings and race tracks, but no audiences allowed
- Spas, Thai massage shops, excluding massage parlours
- Gymnasia and boxing venues for training only
- Bowling alleys and ice skating rinks, but no competitions or audiences allowed
- Dancing academies
- Martial art schools, but no tournaments or audiences allowed
Playgrounds, night entertainment venues, cock fighting, fish fighting, child care centres, theme parks, snooker clubs, bull fighting venues, massage parlours, tutoring schools and nurseries, however, are still ordered to stay closed.
The announcement comes after Bangkok saw 14 new cases today, joining 128 other cases reported in Thailand by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration.
Meanwhile, plans for Chinese New Year seem to be on the back burner as the upcoming February 12 holiday has yet to see anything concrete to celebrate the new year. Pattaya city has decided to decorate its streets for the holiday, but like many other provinces, Chon Buri remains as a highly controlled zone, which essentially bans domestic and foreign tourists from entering, despite single digit infections being recently reported by authorities.
The lifting of the measures in Bangkok come after PM Prayut urged the publicto stay away from social gatherings, specifically pointing out political gatherings, which have rocked the streets of the nation’s capital for months.
SOURCE: Thai PBS World
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North East
800+ people found in close contact with an infected food vendor in Nakhon Phanom

Local disease control workers are continuing to track and trace Covid-19 infections at several villages in the That Phanom district of Nakhon Phanom, north eastern Thailand. The areas were locked down after a 51 year old local food vendor tested positive for Covid-19 and more than 800 people were reported to have had contact with the infected person.
According to the CCSA spokesman, the vendor had been in contact with many people who have been to high risk areas including Bangkok and Rayong. About 10 people in Nakhon Phanom are at high risk of infection from the vendor, but tested negative, while nearly 1,000 other people are at low risk.
Nakhon Phanom’s governor says 5 people, in close contact with the vendor, tested negative, while the other 829 are waiting for their test results. He adds that the active case finding is continuing in the nearby villages and areas.
“Places visited by the infected person are thoroughly cleansed every day.”
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
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Coronavirus (Covid-19)
Pattaya hotels take food to the streets in bid to survive

Pattaya’s hotels are taking their restaurants to the streets by offering food stalls outside and delivery in a bid to save their businesses during the Covid-19pandemic. Such changes in their attempts to avoid closing, come as city officials say they will use funds to spruce up the city for Chinese New Years on February 12.
As Chonburi province is still declared as a “high-risk” and “highly-controlled” area, all hopes of domestic and foreign tourism have been dashed as visitors are essentially banned. Even with recent virus infections down to just 1 over the past 3 days and single digits in the last week, the strict measures have not been lifted.
After Covid hit, hotels in Pattaya relied more on domestic tourists, which appeared to be working for several months after the city held more outdoor festivals to increase tourism traffic. Now, without domestic tourists helping to curb the financial downfall, the hotel industry has met many times with province leaders and represetatives from the Social Security Office of Thailand to ask for a forced legal closure which would allow their formal staff to get paid through social security benefits at roughly 50% of their daily wages.
The requests so far have been denied, leaving 30,000 hotel workers in Pattaya alone out of a job. Some hotels have managed to keep their employees and even providing meals and lodging for them. But smaller hotels have run out of money and are having to lay off staff without pay.
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